Vegan Peanut Butter Cups
These vegan peanut butter cups are rich, creamy and chocolaty! They are similar to Reese’s peanut butter cups, but made with wholesome ingredients. This quick and easy no bake recipe requires only 4 ingredients. They are perfect for Halloween, Easter, Christmas, birthdays and more!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- These vegan peanut butter cups are quick and easy.
- They are no bake.
- This recipe requires only 4 pantry staple ingredients.
- They are made with healthier ingredients than traditional Reese’s. Check out All About Reese’s Cups and these Healthy Peanut Butter Cups!
- They are rich and decadent.
- Both kids and adults love this recipe.
- They are vegan, dairy free, gluten free, egg free and easily made refined sugar free.
- For Keto, use sugar free chocolate chips and low carb liquid sweetener.
- Check out these Gluten Free Snickers Bars for another fun candy recipe!
Ingredients & Substitutions
These are the main ingredients and substitutions for vegan peanut butter cups. Scroll down to the recipe card for full ingredients list and instructions.
Use any vegan chocolate chips. I recommend using a variety that is slightly sweetened. Unsweetened dark chocolate may be too intense and bitter. Enjoy Life makes great allergy friendly chocolate chips.
Coconut oil helps smooth out the chocolate. In addition, coconut oil firms up when chilled. This helps the peanut butter cups retain their shape better.
Use all natural creamy peanut butter. Although regular brands like Jif may work, the filling may be more thick or dry.
Pure maple syrup sweetens the peanut butter filling. Feel free to use honey or agave syrup if not strictly vegan.
Sprinkle sea salt on top of peanut butter cups if desired.
Vegan Chocolate
There are many great vegan chocolate options.
Enjoy Life makes great dairy free chocolate chips. In fact, they are free of the top common allergies.
Hu Kitchen makes vegan chocolate bars. These work great as well! Chop chocolate before melting.
Pascha makes vegan chocolate chips too.
Choose chocolate chips that you would enjoy eating plain. The chocolate is such a large flavor in these homemade peanut butter cups. Unsweetened chocolate is probably too bitter for most people.
Taste & Texture
These vegan peanut butter cups taste like chocolate and peanut butter! They are just like the classic Reese’s cups.
These are rich, creamy and thick. They are slightly thicker than traditional peanut butter cups.
How to Make
Step 1
First, melt chocolate chips and coconut oil together. Stir until completely smooth and creamy.
Step 2
Place 12 muffin liners in a muffin pan.
Step 3
Then, scoop 1 tablespoon of melted chocolate mixture into the bottom of each muffin liner.
Step 4
Place pan in freezer for 15 minutes.
Step 5
In a small bowl, combine peanut butter and maple syrup.
Step 6
After 15 minutes, remove muffin pan from freezer. Scoop out 1 tablespoon of the peanut butter mixture and add to muffin liners.
Step 7
Then, top each peanut butter dollop with more melted chocolate, enough to cover the peanut butter. Sprinkle sea salt on top if desired.
Step 8
Next, place pan back in freezer for 15 minutes.
Step 9
Finally, remove from freezer. Remove peanut butter cups from muffin liners.
Expert Tips & Tricks
Be careful melting the chocolate and coconut oil. Stir in a skillet constantly to prevent burning.
Use muffin liners. They are vital for removing the peanut butter cups from the pan.
I highly recommend using all natural creamy peanut butter. It is more creamy and less dry than traditional peanut butter.
Allow the bottom chocolate layer to freeze completely before topping with peanut butter.
How to Serve & Store
Serve vegan peanut butter cups once fully chilled.
They are great by themselves or chopped up on top of ice cream. These Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies are similar!
Store in the fridge or freezer. They will melt at room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Justin’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups are vegan.
No, Reese’s peanut butter cups are not vegan unfortunately.
Peanut butter is naturally vegan. Some brands add honey, so double check labels.
I recommend Enjoy Life dark chocolate chips.
Yes, they need to be stored in the fridge or freezer.
Yes! These are delicious frozen.
Sure! Use sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter.
You May Also Like
- Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
- Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies
- Banana Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies
- Vitamix Peanut Butter
- Healthy Twix Bars
If you make this vegan peanut butter cup recipe, I would really appreciate a review! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. I would love for you to follow along! For more ideas, check out these Vegan Recipes.
Get the Recipe: Vegan Peanut Butter Cups
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups vegan chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- ¾ cup creamy all natural peanut butter
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- sea salt, optional
Instructions
- First, melt chocolate chips and coconut oil together. Stir until completely creamy.
- Place 12 muffin liners in a muffin pan.
- Scoop 1 tablespoon of melted chocolate mixture into the bottom of each muffin liner.
- Place pan in freezer for 15 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine peanut butter and maple syrup.
- After 15 minutes, remove muffin pan from freezer. Scoop out 1 tablespoon of peanut butter mixture and add to muffin liners.
- Then, top each peanut butter dollop with more melted chocolate, enough to cover the peanut butter. Sprinkle sea salt on top if desired.
- Place pan back in freezer for 15 minutes.
- Finally, remove from freezer. Remove peanut butter cups from muffin liners.
Notes
- See photos above for step by step photos.
- To melt the coconut oil and chocolate chips, add ingredients to a skillet over low heat. Stir constantly until melted. Or, microwave in 30 second increments, stopping to stir between each.
- Do not make this recipe without muffin liners. They are much needed to help remove the peanut butter cups from the pan.
- Use all natural creamy peanut butter, not the kind with added oils or sugars.
- If not strictly vegan, feel free to use honey instead of maple syrup.
- For Keto, use sugar free chocolate and low carb liquid sweetener.
- Store the peanut butter cups in the fridge or freezer.
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8 Comments on “Vegan Peanut Butter Cups”
Very Delicious, I think the recipe needs more chocolate and less peanut butter however. Either way, still very good.
Great to hear that! Thank you for the feedback. More chocolate is always a good idea!
I just made these and they’re amazingg So easy to make- next time I need to use more peanut butter! I had to use more than 1 and a half cups of chocolate chips because I ran out of melted chocolate to do the 2nd layer, so I ending up using 3 cups of melted chocolate chips.
These peanut butter cups are gorgeous! I can’t believe they are vegan!
These look amazing! I didn’t think it would be that easy to make vegan peanut butter cups! The sunflower seed butter would be a good version too. Thanks for the tip!
these totally satisfy my sweet tooth. I can’t ever get enough of them. YUM!!!
Heavenly, delicious, rich, and creamy. There aren’t enough adjectives in the world to describe how good these were.
These look amazing!! Thanks so much – we are so gonna try it with the kids soon:)